The Princes' Islands (Adalar) are a cluster of nine islands in the Marmara Sea, 15--20km from the Istanbul shore. Four are inhabited; no private motor vehicles are permitted on any of them. The transport is horse-drawn carriage, bicycle, or on foot. In a city of 15 million people and continuous traffic noise, the absence of engines is startling in the first minutes after the ferry docks.
The marathon is run in November. The islands are a summer destination for Istanbul residents; November sees the population drop significantly, hotels thin, and the forested paths clear. The Victorian and Art Nouveau summer residences that crowd the shorelines are mostly closed; the year-round population moves through its own rhythms without tourist volume. For a runner with sore legs looking for something calm within reach of the city, the timing is good.
November on the islands: Temperatures 12--16°C by day, cooler in the evenings. The ferry crossings can be rough if wind picks up in the Marmara; November has some rough crossing days. Check the weather before departing. The larger ferries handle swell better than the sea buses.
Getting There
Şehir Hatları ferries depart from Kabataş pier (T1 tram: Kabataş stop from Sultanahmet, approximately 25 minutes) to Büyükada via Heybeliada and Burgazada. Journey time to Büyükada: approximately 75 minutes. Approximately 45 TL with an Istanbulkart; buy the card at the pier.
IDO sea buses depart from Kabataş and reach Büyükada in around 50 minutes. Faster but smaller; rougher in swell. Approximately 70 TL.
Check current schedules at sehirhatlari.com.tr or ido.com.tr. Ferries run roughly every two hours on weekdays in November; plan the return journey before disembarking.
Büyükada
The largest island; the most visited; still manageable in November. The dock at Büyükada is flanked by fish restaurants and a small market. Turn left on arrival for the clock tower square; turn right for the beach promenade and the horse-carriage rank.
Horse-drawn carriages (fayton) operate two routes: a shorter "small tour" covering the harbour and lower town, and a longer "big tour" covering the entire island perimeter including the Yüce Tepe hill with the ruined Prinkipo Palace at the summit. The big tour takes approximately 1--1.5 hours. Agree the fare before boarding; expect approximately 600--900 TL for the longer circuit.
Aya Yorgi Church on the hill above the town is reachable on foot: a 45-minute climb through pine forest to a Greek Orthodox monastery church that has operated continuously since the late Byzantine period. The views over the Marmara take in the Istanbul shore, the other islands, and on clear days the Bithynian peaks of Bursa. The path is compacted earth and moderate gradient - achievable on post-marathon legs if taken slowly.
The island's residential streets - the neighbourhood of Nizam, east of the ferry dock - contain the highest concentration of nineteenth-century wooden summer houses. Many are in various states of decay and renovation. Walking through the grid takes 30--40 minutes.
Where to stay: Ada Hotel Büyükada on Recep Koç Caddesi - quiet, adequate rooms, year-round operation confirmed. Most island hotels close for winter; verify in advance. Booking a short stay in November requires direct contact rather than assuming standard booking platform availability.
Where to eat: Derya Restaurant on the harbour; fish, meze, raki. Köy İskelesi at the pier for simpler grilled fish and cold Efes. Restaurants thin in November; the ones near the dock that stay open are generally the reliable ones.
Heybeliada (Optional Second Stop)
The ferry between Büyükada and Heybeliada (Halki in Greek) takes about 15 minutes and runs on the same Şehir Hatları route. The island is smaller and quieter than Büyükada, with a different character: the Halki Seminary (Heybeliada Ruhban Okulu), a Greek Orthodox theological school closed by the Turkish government in 1971, sits on the hill above the pine forest and can be viewed from outside. The Naval War College on the western shore dates from 1852.
Heybeliada makes sense as a morning visit before catching the afternoon ferry back to Kabataş rather than a second overnight.
Getting Back
The Şehir Hatları ferries return via Heybeliada and Burgazada to Kabataş; the schedule runs into the evening. In November, check the last departure from Büyükada and plan conservatively - being stranded on the island overnight is manageable but unplanned.
From Kabataş pier, the T1 tram returns to Sultanahmet in approximately 25 minutes.